Eleven Years of Memories, Mingling and Mettle
- amwongley
- Jun 30
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 2
In May, Tisbury Memory Group (TMG) turned 11! While last year’s 10th birthday was a wonderful celebration, this year feels meaningful, too. Something to acknowledge with pride.
Eleven years ago, one dynamic person spotted a gap in local services - a gap that simply shouldn’t have existed. There was nowhere in the area for people living with memory loss to gather regularly, feel welcome and be part of something designed with them in mind. So that person started Tisbury Memory Group. There was no fanfare - just absolute determination and a clear purpose.

In the very early days, TMG was fortunate to receive some support from what was then Wiltshire & Swindon Users Network (WSUN). That was greatly appreciated. Since then, though, the Group has been entirely independent, run by volunteers.
TMG welcomes its members with warmth, understanding - and plenty of tea. The Group continues to provide a space where people with memory loss can simply be themselves, without pressure or judgement. Where unpaid carers can pause and draw breath. And where companionship, humour and fun are always close at hand.
Members have come and gone. Some sadly no longer with us, others newly arrived. Yet the spirit of the Group remains strong and close-knit, with a reliable constancy that means a great deal to all.
There’s been resilience and adaptability, too. Like many others, the Group was disrupted by Covid. But thanks to the care and creativity of those involved, TMG modified itself accordingly, re-opening when it was safe to do so - while many other groups sadly faltered, never to return. The situation taught the importance of anticipating emerging needs in our communities. Responsiveness to change has since become one of TMG’s greatest strengths, deepening its contribution and reinforcing its role in the community.
Securing funding has never been easy. It’s even harder now, with more applicants and smaller pots. But we haven’t disappeared. We remain ever-present despite such adversity, and are determined to press on. As an independent, volunteer-run group, it is always motivating that the entirety of every contribution we receive goes directly and transparently to supporting the wellbeing of our community.
To everyone who’s been part of TMG’s story so far – THANK YOU. Whether you’ve come once or countless times, supported from behind the scenes, or stepped forward as a volunteer, you’ve helped make it what it is.
So, here’s to 11 years of memories, mingling and mettle – and to many, many, more, with the same clarity of purpose and drive that started it all.